"Profiles of the Erie, Ohio and Chesapeake & Ohio Canals and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad," circa 1832
THF205318 / "Profiles of the Erie, Ohio and Chesapeake & Ohio Canals and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad," circa 1832
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Artifact Overview
The first half of the 19th century was the heyday of canal construction in the United States. This circa 1832 copperplate engraving shows the elevation profiles of the Erie Canal, the Ohio Canal, and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, along with the profile of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, measured in feet above sea level of the Atlantic Ocean.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Print (Visual work)
Subject Date
circa 1832
Place of Creation
Creator Notes
Engraved by the firm J. & W. W. Warr, SC
Collection Title
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
82.129.163
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Paper (Fiber product)
Technique
Copper engraving (Printing process)
Color
Black-and-white (Colors)
Dimensions
Height: 6.063 in
Width: 12.563 in
Inscriptions
Text below engraving:
Profiles, drawn to scale, of the Erie, Ohio and Chesapeake & Ohio Canals, and of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. Copperplate. Date, about 1832.
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Related Content
SetAmerica's Canal Era
- 34 Artifacts
In the early 19th century, Americans looked to canals for transportation. Artificial waterways carried people and goods over long distances with minimal power, extending water-borne commerce from seaports to inland communities. But canals were expensive to build and maintain, and floods, droughts and freezing weather interfered with operations. Railroads offered a better alternative and brought an end to America's canal era.